Four European Astronauts Via Commercial Mission at the ISS

Axiom Space is the leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure. Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station – the world’s first commercial space station in low-Earth orbit, which will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home.

SpaceX launched an Axiom Mission with four Astronauts. The Ax-3 astronauts will spend two weeks conducting science aboard the ISS before returning to Earth on a SpaceX Dragon. Ax-3 is SpaceX’s third private human spaceflight for the company Axiom Space, which has flown nine people to the station since since 2022

Axiom Space, Italian Air Force, Turkish Space Agency (TUA), and European Space Agency (ESA) are involved in the mission.

Ax-3 is the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to launch to the ISS – redefining the pathway to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and helping chart a course toward Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station.

As part of Ax-3, Türkiye is sending its first astronaut to space in a larger effort to expand the nation’s space exploration capabilities and establish a national human spaceflight program. Ax-3 will also be the first commercial spaceflight mission for an ESA-sponsored astronaut. For Italy, the Ax-3 mission represents a whole-of-country effort to expand its access to space for the purposes of research, development, and innovation.

The Ax-3 crewmembers are Commander Michael López-Alegría of the U.S. and Spain, Pilot Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force, and Mission Specialists Alper Gezeravcı of Türkiye and Marcus Wandt of Sweden and ESA. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Ax-3 crew aboard a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).